Dreams
by A lesson before dying
Summary: James Potter is infesting Lily's dreams, and honestly it's making her a bit batty. One-Shot.


I felt like writing some James/Lily fluff and this is what came out of it. Just a One-Shot. I don't own any of the characters or anything you recognize- just the plot. Enjoy.

**Dreams**

Hands were pressed to hips. Minty breath ghosted across cheeks. Brown eyes met green. The air was filled with loud breathing and uninterrupted stares. His tongue darted out and prepared his lips for what was sure not to be an innocent kiss. Pale, dainty fingers squeezed his shoulders tightly, to make sure that this was real. He was standing in front of her. A signature smirk began to appear on his unnaturally handsome face. She didn't want to see it. The reminder that this was foreign, and that she would most likely regret it in the morning, was coming fast.

So instead of feeling shame, she pressed her body to his to feel heat. This quick action elicited a deep groan from the man in front of her. This time, the smirk was hers to wear.

"Now." She commanded. He didn't wait long to comply.

Her head was knocked roughly into the stone wall behind her, as his lips assaulted her own. The pain didn't register compared to the pleasure he brought her. His hand dipped and cupped under her knee, hooking her leg up on his hip. She murmured unintelligible things into his mouth, unable to believe this was finally happening. She had given into his persistence.

Suddenly a shrill ringing made them both jolt apart. She stared at him, open-mouthed, as he emitted another high pitched shriek.

"What the-" Lily shot up in bed. "Oh bloody-" She rubbed her head after knocking it on the bed post from her sudden movement.

"Lily, that foul muggle contraption of yours has _got _to go!" Her bunkmate, and best friend, Marlene complained from across the room. Lily waved her wand, wordlessly, silencing the angry alarm clock.

"Also-" Her friend glared at her, standing sleepily from her bed. "You were muttering about Potter again." With a final stink-eye, Marlene dissapeared into the loo.

Lily stared at Marlene's retreating back until all she could see was a blank wall.

"Bloody fantastic." Lily spit out, slamming her head back into her pillow and letting out a muffled scream.

That had not been the first night she had dreamt about snogging James Potter.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

"So when are you going to slam him into the broom closet and get this fantasy over with?" Marlene's sarcasm was not welcome quite yet. Lily rolled her eyes as they made their way to the great hall to eat breakfast. The hall wasn't any where near full yet. Lily had purposefully set her alarm to an earlier period so she could avoid Potter and his gang of pranksters.

"You know I don't even like him. I have no idea why my subconscious is torturing me." Lily kept her voice even, but it was still laced with bitterness.

"I would agree with your theory that he put a charm on you, except that he's way too obnoxious to not let it be known that he did it." Marlene commented, plopping down in a seat. She didn't waste any time sticking a muffin into her mouth and nearly swallowing it whole.

"Marlene, dear. Manners." Lily smirked at her stubborn friend who made a face at her.

"Thanks mummy."

Marlene made a scene over what to choose for breakfast- sausage or eggs. She reached for the sausage plate then recoiled her hand when she spied the eggs.

"Oh just take them both, porker." Marlene poked her in the ribs at her insensitive, but funny, comment.

Lily and Marlene didn't become good friends until about 4th year when Marlene's shyness dissipated and both of their sarcastic comments came out to play.

She'd really fallen in love when Marlene once told Sirius Black "thou cans't not be but a beslubbering, half-faced, strumpet" when he tried to feel her up outside the Quidditch pitch one day after a match. Honestly most of the people around thought she was mentally unstable. Lily had giggled until she had fallen to the ground. Marlene had helped her up and muttered how she wished she could have added some more expletives- but she didn't want to overdo it. Over the past three years Lily and Marlene had become best mates.

"Oh bugger. Here come the four musketeers now. Or should it be three musketeers- does Peter even count?" Marlene's snippy comments made Lily snort into her pumpkin juice. Marlene wasn't really a morning person. Lily subconsciously pulled her long red hair over her shoulder as to shield her face from Potter.

"I thought we'd miss them if we got up early enough." Lily sighed, keeping her emerald eyes focused on the food in front of her. She wasn't sure if she could face James yet after her rather vivid dream. Her thoughts drifted to Potter's hands on her waist-

"Evans!" Lily cut her eyes to Marlene who smirked back at her. That little minx knew exactly what she was thinking. Lily sent her a nasty look and then tried to compose herself before glancing at Potter who was trying to rhyme her last name with other words.

"Quit singing my name Potter. It's loud and obnoxious, and way too early for that. What do you want?" Lily asked, taking another sip of juice. She knew he hated it when she didn't look at him when he was speaking. So, of course, she never did.

"Come to Hogsmeade with me. We can hold hands and snog and maybe even go to the shrieking shack and-" Lily wasted no time in swatting the back of his head as he slammed down in the seat next to her. Marlene had spluttered into her goblet as soon as he mentioned the word 'snog'. Lily felt her cheeks turn red. She cursed the day that she had confided in Marlene about her sick dreams.

"Potter, don't patronize me. Bugger off." She was too tired to give him a storm and honestly she didn't want to look at his face. She had subconsciously kissed that face only an hour ago.

"Lily, Lily, Lily. If you don't come with me, something bad might happen..." Lily whipped around in her seat glaring at him as he stood to go sit with his friends.

"Don't threaten me, Potter. The last time you tried to do something to me, I believe it was you sobbing to Madame Pomfrey!"

His eyes darkened.

"You charmed those tears!" He squinted at her in pretend anger. She nearly smiled at the memory of Potter sobbing and running out of the hall. She had slipped a bit of a harmless potion in his juice that made him over-emotional.

Lily wasn't sure when they had stopped getting actually angry at each other. Their fights used to be big blow-outs, leaving both of them so angry they could hardly speak. Now it seemed like it was just for fun and no one's feelings were actually at stake.

Lily managed to roll her eyes and turn back around to face Marlene who was wearing a knowing smirk.

"So when are you going to slam him into a broom closet and-"

"Oh stuff it." Lily huffed, sticking a fork into her eggs.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

Hogsmeade was beautiful with the first fresh snow layering the ground. The two best friends were silent, observing the imprints that their footprints left behind them as they walked.

"You could've come with Potter. I would have been fine."

Lily jerked her head to look at Marlene who was gazing back with a teasing smile.

"Marlene, that's not even funny. I really don't like him! Just because he's grown up a tad and stopped hexing everything that wears green doesn't mean he isn't still an annoying little prat."

"Okay okay. Don't get your undies in a twist." Marlene snickered under her breath and Lily restrained herself from shoving her into the snow.

The Marauders appeared in front of them a few short moments later. The twosome sighed in unison as they were spotted by the castle's notorious bachelors.

"Oh Evans, you decided to come with me after all?" Potter called over, his smirk practically eating his face.

"What would give you that idea?" Lily called back.

"Well you found me, didn't you?"

Lily hooked arms with Marlene and selectively ignored his last remark. She hadn't realized that Sirius was chatting up Marlene and was halted as she tried to move forward.

"Oy Black go find someone else to bother." Lily's remark was teasing and her eyes lit up as she looked at him. She had never found it in her heart to dislike Sirius Black, even though she most likely had every reason to. After all, he was Potter's best mate.

"Lily flower, I was merely asking your mate here to accompany me to Honeydukes. Alas she refuses to answer me. I will have to bask in all its glory by myself."

Marlene had a very big sweet tooth and Lily was surprised she hadn't dragged Sirius off at the mere mention of Honeydukes Sweet Shoppe.

"Oh go on, Marlene. We know all about your obsession with all things sweet." Marlene shot Lily an offended look, which made Lily crack a smile. Lily suspected that her dear friend also had a small crush on all things Sirius Black.

"Only if you buy me some sugar quills. I have a craving for them." Marlene was eyeing Black suspiciously like he was luring her into a trap.

"Done." He grabbed her hand and yanked Marlene out of Lily's grasp. Within a moment or two they disappeared into the crowd of Hogwarts students that had swarmed the little town.

"Oh bullocks." Lily was left alone now. She supposed she could go meet up with some of her other friends who were bound to be around somewhere. However she had been looking forward to a nice quiet visit with Marlene. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't selfish enough to keep her friend from having a fun date.

"Guess you're left with me then, Evans."

Her face scrunched up in disbelief at the sudden turn of events. She could deal with abandonment, but she wasn't sure if she could handle it if she was left in the hands of James Potter.

She let out a snarky little laugh, taking a step away from the boy who haunted her dreams.

"Oh Potter. You are so misguided, it's almost cute. Enjoy your day." With that last snippy comment, Lily set off on her own. She was surprised that he didn't follow her after that, but she supposed that she was glad that he didn't.

"Lily!" She glanced to her right where Ravenclaw's Quidditch Captain was jogging towards her, sporting a large smile on his rather perfect face. Immediately, she couldn't help but notice his strong jawline and how his skin seemed to glow. Benjy Fenwick had never showed any interest in her prior to today so Lily wasn't sure how to react to his bright eyes staring at her. Sure, they had spoken on occasion but nothing to warrant the look on his face as he approached.

"Benjy. Nice to see you." Lily smiled brightly at the boy before her. She watched as he ran a hand through his bronze, unruly, hair.

"You too, Lily. Did you come to Hogsmeade with anyone or are you just wandering?"

Lily tried to still her heart as she supplied him with an answer. She mentioned what had happened with Marlene, leaving out the part with Potter. He laughed, holding eye contact with her a little longer than normal. Of course, she could have been over-analyzing things again.

"Can I tell you something honestly?" Benjy asked, looking slightly apprehensive.

"I wish you would."

"I've wanted to ask you to Hogsmeade since last year." Lily nearly choked on her breath as she took in his eager words.

"Why haven't you asked then?" The words came out in a flirtatious manner. She didn't mind. It seemed that he didn't either as he laughed again and seemed much more at ease.

"Well, Potter is always around and he has this weird protective eye on you. Which is kind of ridiculous because the two of you barely get along, right?" Benjy's hands were stuck in his pockets and Lily watched his breath appear in the cold air.

"Forget about Potter, Benjy. He's a snot." She grinned at no one in particular, feeling a bit lighter in her step. Of course, _she_ couldn't forget about Potter. The nasty twit always showed up in her dreams.

The new couple wandered to The Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer and got cozy in one of the corner booths. Their shoulders touched as they chuckled at each others tales from Hogwarts.

"You did _not_ fall off your broom! I was at that game." Lily giggled as Benjy shook his head modestly.

"I was close to it."

"Oh please. You had a little slip. You got back on your broom and won the game against Slytherin. I can't believe you're trying to tell me this is an embarrassing story." Lily was completely charmed by this attractive, almost too modest, man next to her.

"Shrieking Shack?" He asked as she finished off her butterbeer. She shrugged in compliance and took his hand as he helped her stand from the booth. His chivalry did not go unnoticed and she couldn't hide the smile that slipped onto her face.

Benjy didn't let go of her hand as they left The Three Broomsticks. Lily had never had this sort of attention on her before. She'd had a summer fling with a muggle once, but it was just snogging, nothing sentimental. She tried to ignore the blatant stares that they were receiving from their fellow students. She knew half of her girl classmates would hate her once they saw her on the arm of Fenwick. He was quite popular and exceptionally attractive.

Slowly the crowd around them dissipated and they were on the secluded path to the Shrieking Shack. The place didn't really frighten Lily since she knew why it was there.

Remus Lupin, one of the famous Marauders, was a werewolf. The Shrieking Shack had been an ingenious idea to hide him during the full moon and to keep others away. Lily had been too smart for Lupin's secret. She'd called him out on it in the middle of 5th year even though she'd been suspecting for a while. Of course she promised she would keep it a secret. She actually liked Lupin.

"Are you scared?" Benjy's voice permeated Lily's thoughts and she squeezed his arm lightly.

"Maybe." She was lying.

He grinned down at her, his cheeks pink from the bitter wind. He could see right through her and her lies.

"Telling tall tales will only land you in trouble, Ms. Evans."

His accusation sparked a memory from earlier that morning.

"_Lily, Lily, Lily. If you don't come with me, something bad might happen..." _

Lily wanted to kick Potter in the shin the next time she saw him. He was ruining the moment before their big kiss. Fenwick had been leaning towards her as he spoke. Stupid Potter.

"Oh, hello Mudblood." Lily didn't have to turn around to know that voice. Lucius Malfoy had found them in their secluded spot. So much for that kiss.

"Fenwick with a mudblood- what a surprise." Lily glanced up at Benjy's face to see it hardened like stone.

"Malfoy, to what do we owe the pleasure?" The sarcasm ripped through her before she could stop it. She never did have patience with arrogant purebloods.

"I was just walking and I heard your voice. I was curious as to who you were trying to bed, Fenwick." Malfoy was speaking to Benjy but his cold stare was trained on Lily.

Benjy's wand was out quickly, and Malfoy's was up in arms as well. Lily had barely blinked and all of a sudden they were in a standoff. She wished she could remember how well Benjy was at casting spells instead of how well he flew on a broomstick.

"Put your wand down, Malfoy." Benjy snarled.

Lily couldn't wait to take points from the Slytherin house, seeing as she was Head Girl and all. However, she would have to wait until he put his wand down. She knew he wasn't above hurting her.

Slowly, Lily pulled her own wand from her back pocket. Malfoy watched her movement and murmured something unintelligible before either Fenwick or Lily could react.

All of a sudden Lily felt ropes around her ankles and she was falling forward. She didn't land hard due to Benjy's arms taking most of the blow for her. She stood from the help of her new beau and wiped off her dirty palms. As Benjy helped her stand, he had also disarmed Lucius. Lily flipped her long copper hair out of her eyes and pointed her wand at Malfoy's eyes .

He had the decency to look a little unsure as she stood before him. Lily was no novice at spells, hexes, or curses. She didn't enjoy using them sometimes but a girl has to know self-defense.

"Confringo!" Lily's wand movements were so quick that Malfoy could barely react before the bottom of his robes caught fire. She grabbed Benjy's hand and pulled him away as Malfoy attempted to put out the flames.

"Fifty points from Slytherin!" Lily turned and yelled, ignoring Malfoy's not very subtle expletives aimed her way.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

"I heard you had an exciting adventure today." Marlene commented as Lily changed into her pajamas before bed.

"It was interesting to say the least. Oh! Bugger!" Lily grabbed her foot after stubbing her toe on the side of her bed.

"I heard you snogged Fenwick! Is it true?" Dorcas, another one of Lily and Marlene's bunkmates, mock whispered.

"Don't be silly. Fenwick doesn't snog on the first date- and neither do I." She added for good measure, slipping under her warm covers.

"So it was a date." Marlene appeared at the foot of her bed, sitting cross-legged. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a knot on top of her head.

"I guess so."

"I need more details, Lillian." Marlene's face was scrunched up tight in frustration and Lily giggled.

She proceeded to tell her the events of the day, emphasizing the looks Benjy had given her and the kiss that almost occurred.

"Lils, what's on your cheek?" Marlene pointed to her right cheekbone and Lily's hand flew to it.

"Ow. What is it? A cut?" Lily winced as she fingered the indent on her face.

"Looks like it. How'd you get it?"

"Must have been from the fall I took. Benjy must not have gotten me soon enough." Lily shrugged and nudged Marlene with her foot.

"Bed!" She announced, laying her head on her pillow.

"Sleep tight, silly Lily. Tell Potter hello for me in your dreams!"

Lily was too tired that night to chuck her pillow at the offensive girl across the room.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

Sunday morning did not start off well. Potter reappeared in her dreams and was more attractive than ever. Before she had drifted off to sleep she had wished and wished that Benjy would be the one snogging her against a wall. But alas, Potter had to ruin everything again.

After a small breakfast, Lily headed back to the common room to get some homework done. Of course she ran into the one person she was trying to avoid- Potter.

"Evans!" He didn't sound happy this morning, either.

"Potter." She responded coolly, sitting herself down at one of the corner tables with her schoolwork surrounding her.

He was right in front of her before she had time to blink. She glared up at him for disrupting her space.

"I heard you had a run in with Malfoy yesterday."

Lily shrugged in response, not feeling the need to explain herself or what occurred. His eyes were on her face and she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact. She might beg him to snog her or something equally ridiculous. She didn't even like him for Merlin's sake.

"Evans! What happened?" James was sitting across from her now, elbows on her parchment. She frowned, hoping nothing was getting smudged.

"Nothing, Potter. Leave me alone. I have work to do." The mounds of work she should have started on days ago was beginning to stress her out. She glanced at him again and realized he would not be giving up very easily today. She took a deep breath and let out a bigger sigh.

"He approached me and Fenwick, and started being...well, you know, Malfoy." She paused, wondering how to explain the next part.

"I think he hexed me, but I'm not really sure. I fell. Then I made his robes catch fire. That was that." She raised a brow at the boy before her and then refocused her attention on the essay that needed to be written.

"That was that? Are you kidding me. How did you fall? Are you okay?" His concern was truly touching, but Lily couldn't help but feel like he was using her to start another feud. She did not need to clean up another mess.

"Potter. I'm fine. He's just a prat. Leave it alone." She snapped at him and he narrowed his eyes in response.

Suddenly she felt a shift in James' demeanor. Lily looked up and saw a hate in James' eyes that she had never seen before.

"What-"

"Did he do that to you?" The question came out in what Lily could only explain as a growl.

"Do what? James-"

"That." He pointed to her cheek and her hand rushed to the source of his anger. Potter was talking about the small cut on her cheekbone. She had looked at it earlier that morning and hadn't thought it looked too bad. A bit of bruising, but it would heal in a day or so.

"I fell, Potter. I suppose I hit something on the way down. Plus, it's just a small cut." She couldn't tear her eyes away from his face. He was a bit less tense, but still very expressive.

"How did you fall again?"

"I..." Lily was at a loss for words. She didn't know what kind of spell Malfoy had used to make her fall.

"He did it." Potter was angrier now and Lily was actually a bit scared of him. She'd never seen him at this level of intensity before.

"Potter, calm down. Benjy caught me before any harm was done." Lily nearly gasped after she let the words slip out of her mouth. Potter's demeanor was constantly changing. Now he looked a bit put out.

"I heard you were with Fenwick yesterday, but I thought it was just a rumor." He murmured and Lily felt a bit of guilt. Then she realized she had no reason to feel guilty. She could kiss Potter in her dreams, but that didn't put them in a relationship in real life.

"Listen, Potter. I'm fine. Go find some other reason to start a feud with Malfoy." Lily was determined to get a real start on her work.

"Lily...that's not why I came to talk to you." Lily didn't have to look at him to know that he looked hurt again.

"Sure, Potter." This was her dismissal to any more communication. She heard his seat push back and his fading footsteps.

For some reason she felt a pain in her stomach that was more emotional than physical.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

"Lilykins." Her name was drawn out to ridiculous lengths before she turned around.

"What, Black?" Her patience was wearing thin. She had just finished all her schoolwork but she was late for rounds. Most likely no one would notice, or care, since she was nearly always punctual. However, Lily felt her own personal failure for being late.

"Can I accompany you on rounds?"

Lily frowned, pausing in her steps. There had to be some kind of prank occurring that involved her not being around. Sirius was probably trying to keep her occupied.

"No." She continued walking, still unsure of why Black had approached her. Unluckily enough he followed her anyways. She wasn't sure why she had doubted that he wouldn't.

"Lily." She growled under her breath, glancing at him with her peripherals.

"Black. This is not the time." She really didn't want anything bad to happen. She was stressed enough as it was, she didn't need to deal with anything out of the ordinary happening.

"Lily, I just want to talk." Sirius' voice was starting to get gruff.

"Fine. Spit it out." She rounded a corner quickly, almost wishing that she could lose him in the maze of hallways that made up Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Sirius knew the castle better than she did. The dimly lit hallways always gave her the creeps at night, so somewhere deep in her mind- she was thankful for Sirius beside her.

"What did you do to James?"

"Excuse me?" Lily must not have heard him right. She hadn't done anything to Potter. They had spoken about Malfoy and then he left to do whatever Potter does.

"He's acting like an arse and I know he talked to you right before I saw him." Sirius strolled alongside her, speaking to her as if they were good companions.

"Well I didn't do anything. He's probably unhappy because he doesn't have a real reason to hex Malfoy." Lily scoffed, taking another turn.

"What do you mean real reason?" Sirius asked, his dark brown eyes staring down the side of her face.

Lily rolled her eyes and recounted the unedited version of the day before's events. She had to pause and take ten points off of Hufflepuff when she found a second year sneaking around one of the passages. She ranted about how James had accosted her when she was trying to study, while Sirius seemed to listen attentively. Finally she was done and she let out a long breath to calm herself down. The dream version of Potter was really getting to her.

"Lily." Sirius let out a small chuckle before continuing. "You're daft."

He was smiling but Lily was offended at his blunt words. Before she could defend herself he began talking again.

"James is completely crazy about you which should explain all of his actions." Lily went to respond but then was halted by Sirius' statement.

"What..." She had no words which made Sirius snort. It wasn't often that Lily Evans couldn't come up with something to say.

The people in the paintings on the walls were staring them down as the two students looked at each other, unaware of their audience.

"Oh come on Lily. I never thought you were that dense." Sirius patted her shoulder awkwardly, still smiling unabashedly.

"I...you must be mistaken." Lily regained her confidence and squinted warily at him in the darkness. He was best mates with Potter so obviously there was some trick to this. Sure Potter flirted with her but it was always in a depreciating way. She had never thought he was serious for even a moment.

Without waiting for him to respond, Lily turned on her heel and stomped down the corridor. She heard him follow after her, only hesitating a moment.

"Lily! Wait up! I thought you knew. He's been crushing on the famous Lily Evans for years now." Sirius grinned at her, flipping his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. Lily felt a bit of rage tumbling inside of her.

"He has not. He hates me! We have always hated each other!" Lily stopped suddenly and faced the delirious boy beside her. Her words were angry and bitter. He was pulling a cruel trick on her and she was starting to feel a bit hurt. Green hair and being stuck to a chair were silly things, but feelings were not to be messed with.

She watched as Black's face softened and he reached to put his hand on her shoulder again. She shrugged it off as soon as it touched her and he frowned. She wasn't aware that there were tears in her eyes until one spilled on to her cheek.

"Lily...I...what's wrong?" He looked uncomfortable.

Lily was embarrassed and ashamed that she had let her tears be seen and she quickly turned her head away and wiped them off. She was starting to go batty. With Potter in her dreams every night, her heart seemed to be in overdrive all the time.

"I'm telling the truth. I don't know why you don't believe me. Everyone knows its true, even Fenwick. He had a lot of guts to come and ask you on a date."

"_Well, Potter is always around and he has this weird protective eye on you. Which is kind of ridiculous because the two of you barely get along, right?"_

Lily gasped suddenly remembering Benjy's words. That was why boys at school had ever accosted her before- James Potter.

Suddenly she was inflamed with anger. Sirius took a step back from the look on her face. She began to mutter about the things she was going to do to Potter, and Sirius barked out a laugh, capturing her attention again.

"I'm glad to have helped, Ms. Evans. I think you two are finally back on track." With those last words, Sirius took off and jogged down the corridor. He flashed her one last silly grin before he was lost in the big castle.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

"Lupin!"

Lily was in a no nonsense mood. She had just finished rounds and was ready to battle it out with Potter. Unfortunately she couldn't find him to save her life. He was always around when she didn't want to see him so of course, she couldn't find him when she needed him.

"Yes, Lily?" Remus was sitting comfortably in a big arm chair in the common room. A big book was open on his lap and Lily was slightly curious as to what he was reading. Remus and Lily had a lot in common. She watched him for a moment, trying to determine why they never spoke much. She wondered suddenly if Potter put a stop to her and Remus' friendship as well. The anger swirled in her stomach.

"Where's your toerag of a friend?" Remus looked amused by her intense gaze.

"I believe he's in the astronomy tower." Lily's eyes widened. Had it always been that easy to get information from them? She had expected the third degree and maybe some spells before she got her way.

"Thanks..." She sent him a hesitant smile. She was going to befriend Lupin no matter what Potter thought. She gave him a slight wave and then turned for the portrait hole.

"Lily!" Lily sighed and continued walking as Marlene ran to catch up with her.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to murder someone." Marlene chuckled and then saw the look on Lily's face.

"Potter?" She asked tentatively as Lily nodded in response.

"Going to drag him into a closet and deal with him?" Marlene giggled again at her own joke and Lily mumbled something about needing new friends.

"Okay... well I'm going to go snog Sirius. Just thought you should know!" Marlene laughed and jumped away as Lily tried to grab for her.

"I'm going to get you later!" Lily called after her evasive friend. She actually didn't care if Marlene snogged Sirius. She knew that Marlene had a crush on him. The only thing that worried her was Sirius' playboy ways. He didn't stick to one girl for long and although Marlene acted tough, Lily knew that she wasn't immune to Sirius' charms.

The walk to the Astronomy tower didn't take very long due to Lily's quick pace. As she approached she suddenly worried that James might not be there alone. What if he was with another girl?

Suddenly Lily wasn't sure if she would be able to face him there. It was too close to home. Dream Potter and dream Lily always snogged in the astronomy tower. She could just wait for him in the common room which was a safe, neutral area.

But it was too late. She'd already spotted him. He was alone.

"Lily?" She was thinking about just backing up silently and leaving him be, but it was like he could sense her.

"Potter." Her voice was still laced with anger.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, turning to face her, his black hair looking windswept against his forehead.

"I'm looking for you. I had an interesting chat with Sirius-" She paused at the murderous look on his face.

"What did he tell you?" He spit out, walking towards her quickly. Lily took a couple steps back, not comfortable with the space invasion.

"Geez Potter, relax." Her voice was soothing as she watched him. He seemed to calm down a bit, but not completely.

Then she remembered why she was there in the first place.

"You!" She pointed at him with her wand and now James took a few steps back.

"How many guys have you kept from talking, flirting, or even just being nice to me?" Her words were anything but soothing as she stared him down. He looked very uncomfortable and she had a feeling it wasn't because of her wand.

"Lily...I..." He ran a hand through his messy hair and Lily wanted to yell at him to cut it out. She could remember running her own hands through his hair so vividly, it didn't feel like a dream.

"How many, Potter?" She growled out, her wand unwavering.

"I don't know, a lot of them, okay?" His voice was defensive and sharp. He was fingering his own wand now and Lily wasn't sure how this was going to turn out. She hadn't expected him to be so honest.

"Why?"

"Shit Lily isn't that obvious?" He was angry now, probably because she still had her wand pointed at him.

"No it isn't! What the hell is wrong with you, Potter?" She was yelling now, her face flushed. She felt hurt and betrayed by the man in front of her.

"This is the worst thing you've ever done to me." She lowered her wand.

Lily couldn't help the tears that clouded her vision. Potter had been pulling one over on her for seven years, but today it would have to stop. She thought they had reached somewhat of a truce over the past two years, but evidently she was wrong.

She watched as he put his wand away hastily and stepped towards her. He looked concerned, but she wasn't sure if it was sincere.

"I thought we were okay..." Lily hiccuped through her tears. She felt a bit of shame, but in the end she didn't care any more. She wanted him to see how much he had hurt her. "But we're not, are we James? We will never be okay!" She squinted at him with her watery eyes. He looked so lost and confused which ignited her even more.

"I thought your pranks were just fun and games, so I never got too upset. But this James- these are people's feelings you're dealing with! You have consciously kept people from speaking to me for seven years! Seven!" She poked his chest with her small index finger for emphasis. He still didn't speak.

Lily stared at him for a moment, trying to regain her regular breathing. James eyes were trained on her tears and she felt a bit of satisfaction from the pain that crossed his face.

"You have literally forced me to this point, James." She sighed then, feeling another round of tears coming. "I hate you. I hate you so much." She felt her chest tighten with her words, making her gasp. James took a step backwards, his hand flying to his hair, pulling on the ends.

"Lily.."

Lily shook her head, deciding not to listen to his apologies or whatever he had to say. She turned to leave when she felt his warm hand grab her upper arm.

"Lily, listen to me." His tone was forceful, yet she still couldn't bring herself to look at him. The warmth from his fingers was spreading through her whole arm.

"You don't hate me. You could never hate me." He seemed to be trying to persuade himself that his words were true, rather than her.

She shook her head in response. His grip tightened.

"Lily, I'm sorry. But you're getting this all wrong..." He trailed off, clearly trying to come up with the right words to say.

"No, I'm not." She pulled from his grasp and ran. Lily heard her name being called but she couldn't slow down. She didn't stop until she reached her bed chamber. Marlene was waiting for her and immediately began to try and comfort her. Unfortunately for Marlene, there was nothing she could really do. For some reason Lily felt completely heartbroken and she couldn't even explain why. She fell into a restless sleep, filled with tears and chest pains.

That night Lily didn't dream of James Potter snogging her. In fact, she didn't even dream of James Potter at all.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

The three months left of school passed quickly. Lily avoided James Potter like the plague and he respected the distance. No one knew what had happened between them, only that they didn't speak anymore.

Marlene and Sirius never ended up dating due to the disagreement between their two best friends. Marlene couldn't hang out with Potter because she always ended up accusing him of upsetting Lily, and Sirius always defended his best mate. But they were all empty arguments anyways, due to the fact that they never knew what exactly had happened.

Lily felt horribly guilty for coming between Marlene and Sirius, but Marlene always shrugged it off when she tried to bring it up.

Before they knew it, it was time to go back to the real world. All the Hogwarts students were about to board the train from Hogwarts, and Lily was getting teary-eyed by herself out on the platform. Never again would she be a student at the school that built her. She took one last look around and then headed on to the train to find Marlene.

They sat together in silence for a while before Lily decided a trip to the loo was in order. She was on her way back to their compartment when she bumped in to a large body.

"Pardon me." Lily mumbled, embarrassed from not paying attention to where she was going.

"Don't worry about it." Her stomach rolled from the voice she hadn't heard in months. Potter was staring down at her with a strange look on his face.

She made to move past him, but he didn't move from the middle of the corridor.

"Potter, please." She didn't want to deal with him today- of all days.

"Lily, I need to talk to you." With that said, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the corridor to an empty compartment.

"James... what are you doing?" She really didn't want to be so close to him. She might have a mental breakdown or something of the sort.

"I know I'm the last person you want to say goodbye to. After this moment you'll probably never see me again." He sat down on one of the seats, elbows on his knees and his head resting on his hands. He looked distraught and Lily couldn't find a reason why he should be.

To be polite, she sat across from him. She folded her arms across her chest, feeling uncomfortable at the turn of events.

"I had to tell you that you were wrong. Well, you were right...I did keep guys away from you." He took a deep breath and Lily felt a new wave of hurt roll over her. Fortunately she'd cried all the tears out and there were none left to shed.

"But I never meant to hurt you." He paused, gauging her reaction. She stared blankly at him. "I just didn't want anyone else to notice how perfect you were." His dark eyes left hers and drifted to the window. She noticed a light pink blush appear along his cheek bones.

"Perfect? Potter, I am anything but perfect." She wasn't sure where this was going.

"Lily, you are the most perfect girl I've ever met." His eyes blazed at her modesty. She pushed herself further back into the seat, uneasy at his stare.

"I've loved you since the first time I met you. I just didn't know what love was at that point. I was eleven and had such strong feelings towards you, I assumed it was hate." Shock coursed through her veins as they locked eyes.

"Eventually I realized what it really was. Lily, you wouldn't date me. I couldn't bare even the thought of you with another guy, so I took action." He shook his head, tousling his hair. "I know it was stupid. I've grown up enough to admit that. I just... I couldn't leave Hogwarts without you knowing the truth. I have loved you Lily Evans, since I met you. You are perfect in every way." He stood, dusting his pants off.

"I wish you luck with everything you do." He reached for her hand which she gave him, silently. He brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently. His eyes never left hers as he lowered her hand and then backed out of the compartment. Lily was left with her thoughts.

But she couldn't think with all the tingles on her knuckles.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

Three more months passed and Lily was now in training to be a Healer. Life moved at a very fast pace; it seemed like just yesterday that she was studying at Hogwarts.

Marlene was in Auror training along with James and Sirius. Although Marlene never brought them up much, since she believed Lily to dislike the two of them.

It had been a hard decision for Lily whether to be a Healer or an Auror, but she had a feeling that she'd made the right decision. Even though she wasn't actually a Healer yet, she felt satisfaction from helping people. She couldn't wait to do things on her own, though.

It had been a hard day at work and she'd finally been able to get home to her and Marlene's flat in London. It wasn't much, but it was cozy. Lily had immediately noticed that Marlene wasn't home. You could usually hear her right away. Marlene had always been very noisy, even at school.

However, when she walked into the living room she found a surprise waiting for her.

A man in black robes was sitting on her couch. He turned when she walked in. He had a mask on, but for some reason she felt like he was smiling. She immediately pulled out her wand, but she wasn't quite quick enough.

"Crucio!" Lily screamed as she fell. Her body contorting into positions she hadn't thought possible. She could feel the life draining out of her. All she could think of were the things she'd wasted. Why hadn't she talked to Marlene more about her Auror training; Why hadn't she called home more often; Why did she never tell Potter that she loved him too?

Suddenly, as soon as the pain started- it stopped. It seemed as if the man had just gotten momentarily bored. Her wand was still in her hand and even though she could barely breathe, she knew she had to act fast.

"Confundo!" She breathed out, hoping that something would happen. The man stopped mid-movement and looked at her blankly for a moment. Lily wasn't sure why she'd thought of the Confundus Charm first- all it did was confuse him for a couple moments.

"Densaugeo!" She flicked her wand again and his teeth began to elongate. The man, she could only assume was a Death Eater, dropped his wand and grabbed at his mouth. Why could she not remember any defensive spells? She'd been so focused on being a Healer that she'd forgotten how to defend herself.

"Bollocks." Somehow she pulled herself off of the floor and grabbed at his wand. She broke it in half and then suddenly had an epiphany.

"Petrificus totalus!" It wasn't much, but it stopped the immediate threat. Lily felt like an imbecile. How had she managed to forget hundreds of spells in three months? All she could remember were silly little hexes and spells only meant for healing.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the stress of what just happened overcame her. She knew it wasn't safe in her flat anymore so she apparated to where she had a feeling Marlene would still be- the Ministry of Magic.

Wizards and witches flooded around her, going about their business. She'd been here before multiple times, but now was completely different. She needed to find Marlene quickly before she apparated back home to find a death eater waiting.

She made her way through the hustle and bustle of the offices and finally found herself in the right place. Lily could hear Marlene's sarcastic comments from a mile away and she burst into the office where they were coming from.

"Marlene!" Lily gasped, grabbing onto the door frame for support. Tears were still in her eyes as she made eye contact with her friend.

"Lily!" Marlene's tone did a one-eighty from sarcasm to concern. "What's happened?" Lily felt Marlene lead her to a chair and she fell into it. She barely noticed the two others in Marlene's office staring intently at her.

"Death eater in the apartment." Lily managed to stammer out. One of the people in the office rushed out to alert others of the attack. Lily knew she'd made the right decision in coming to the ministry. She'd managed to kill two birds with one stone already.

"Are you alright?" Marlene had conjured up a glass of water for her and Lily held on to it tightly.

"I think I need to be taken to the infirmary." Lily's vision was getting hazy. The adrenaline seemed to have been wearing off.

"I'll take her." A familiar voice sounded from Lily's left, but she didn't have the energy to look at who it was.

"Lily, James is going to take you to a healer. I'm going to stay here and deal with the break-in, okay? I'm so glad you're alright." Marlene kissed the top of Lily's head and was gone, just like that.

Lily took a deep breath and stood with the help of two big arms. She let out a grunt of disapproval.

"Potter's going to help me. What is this, the twilight zone?" Her words were jumbled, but she heard a quiet chuckle from behind her.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

Lily awoke to the sound of voices. Normally she woke up to her blaring alarm clock, or to birds outside of her window. So, this was new.

She rolled over in her bed and realized that what she was laying on was not, in fact, her own bed. Lily's eyes snapped open. She was in St. Mungo's Hospital. Her eyes weren't focused quite yet and she looked around blearily until she found something to focus on.

James Potter was sitting across from her. He looked tired due to the dark circles under his eyes. She realized that he was looking at someone else who was next to him. A trainee-Healer seemed to be talking with him, Lily assumed due to her state of dress, and the fact that she kept gesturing to where Lily was laying.

Finally the trainee left, and Lily was alone with Potter. He glanced towards her and Lily saw all the pain on his face for a split moment until he realized that she was awake.

"Lily!" He jumped from his seated position and stood next to her bed. James grasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. She flashed back to that day on the train. Then her mind went blank.

How could he have such an effect on her?

"Potter." She returned the greeting a bit stiffly. He'd caught her off guard with all the kissing and affection.

"What's going on?" She asked. He let go of her hand and she tucked it under the blanket so he wouldn't have any temptation to kiss it again.

"You don't remember?" He asked. She shook her head in silence and he took a deep breath before continuing.

"You came in to the Ministry and reported the attack. Sirius left to get a group and then apparated to the apartment. The man you caught was still laying on the ground. The spell was about to wear off when they arrived." James paused, looking her over with a smirk.

"Petrificus totalus, Lily? Really?" Lily glared in response.

"Anyways, I brought you here while Marlene took care of everything else. Lily, you didn't tell us they did an unforgivable on you." James' face was hard now.

"I wasn't in much of a state to explain myself." Lily retorted hotly, crossing her arms across her chest.

James was silent for a while, just staring at her.

"Not much has changed since I last saw you." His voice was quiet, almost sad. Lily watched his face as she responded warily.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You're still the fiery, stubborn redhead and I'm still madly in love with you." His words caught her by surprise and she let out an audible gasp.

"Potter, you're ridiculous."

"Am I?" He was smiling and it unnerved Lily to no end.

"Yes, you are. You don't love me. You're infatuated. It's completely different." Lily's voice wavered as she spoke but her eyes stayed on his the whole time.

"No, I'm pretty sure I love you." Potter was teasing her now. He sat on the edge of her bed, getting closer to her with every word.

"Will you do me a favor?" He asked.

"What?"

"Please don't get yourself killed. Learn some new defense spells." She whacked him with the back of her hand.

"I panicked and couldn't remember!"

"Well, next time- remember! Actually, forget that, don't let there _be_ a next time!" James was serious, and it was making Lily's insides feel a little strange and bubbly.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked suddenly, eyes downcast.

"I already told you, darling. I'm in love with you." Lily felt his fingers on her face, tracing her cheekbone.

"I don't want to sound cliché but, when I felt like I was dying... there was one regret that stood out to me the most." Lily stated quietly. She knew that she had his attention by the way his fingers halted their movements across her neck. Her words tumbled out before she was able to make any sense of what she was feeling.

"I regretted not being a better friend for Marlene and I regretted not seeing my parents more often-" She hesitated. "But, most of all, I regretted not telling you that I love _you_...madly." She blinked up at him, a red hue across her face and neck.

"Why do you love me?" He asked. All she could feel was his hand on her calf. It was sending all the butterflies in her stomach reeling.

"You're headstrong." She blinked up at him, unnecessary tears filling her eyes. She had almost died today and now she was telling the man of her dreams, literally, that she was in love with him. Lily felt like she actually _was_ in the twilight zone.

"You're a great friend, you're intelligent." She paused, feeling like a walking, breathing romance novel. She coughed and rolled her eyes as James stared down at her.

"Anyways, the point is, Potter, is that you love me, and I love you too. You'd think I would get a better reaction than this-"

Lily heard his breathing hitch and then all she could feel was his body weight, and his warmth. He was smothering her but, it felt so good. Finally, his lips found hers and she found herself in familiar territory. She gripped James' hair in her fingers, reveling in it's messy softness. His lips massaged hers, while his hands roamed along her sides. A slight pain in her abdomen made her grunt in pain, halting their actions.

"I'm sorry!" She breathed as they pulled away slightly. All she could see was his nose and his eyes. Everything else was a blur.

"For what?" He snickered, pulling her hair out of her face.

"For being a hag at school. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." She felt like such an idiot.

"It doesn't matter. You're mine now." He was smirking and it irked her.

"Stop making that ridiculous face and kiss me, Potter."

"Right away, Madame."

They snogged for a while until Lily's Healer entered the room. She was free to go after a mess of paperwork. James held Lily's hand the whole time at St. Mungo's, only letting go when she needed to sign something. Lily couldn't believe how blind she'd been the whole time at school. It was obvious how much James had changed, even though he still harbored distinct child-like qualities.

"So, if you hadn't almost died, would you still have told me you loved me?" James asked as they appeared in the Marauders' flat.

"Just count your blessings, Potter." Lily snorted at his frustrated expression.

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

Marlene and Sirius encountered the surprise of a life-time when they approached a love-struck James and Lily. A lot of explaining occurred, and yet the two outsiders still didn't understand how it happened. All they knew was that they were glad it finally did.

Marlene pulled Lily aside later that night, ignoring the boy's curious stares.

"So when did you slam Potter into a broom closet and live your fantasy?" Marlene quipped. Lily shoved her, making Marlene stumble a few steps. She burst into giggles as she caught herself. Lily looked on, disapprovingly.

"Lily, you had fantasies about me?" James was quick to jump in on the embarrass Lily train. Lily managed to clamp her hand around Marlene's big mouth before she could give away her secret.

"You wish, Potter."

**#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&#%&**

-A Lesson Before Dying


End file.
